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WWE: Memorable moments from Friday Night Smackdown

Thanks for coming to The Real Mid Card for our thoughts on last night’s episode of Smackdown. It was a pretty decent show overall, but I don’t want to get bogged down in all the usual faces and all the predictable stuff. Let’s look at what stood out.

Triple H was interviewed in the ring by Michael Cole, and chose to bury Big Show this time. Daniel Bryan came down to interrupt him and vowed to prove him wrong at Hell in a Cell. Yes!

The Wyatt Family kidnapped The Miz and tied him up in what looked a lot like the old boiler rooms of the Mankind era. They branded his chest with the word “Liar” – Cool creepy stuff. Los Matadores beat 3MB again. I’m not sure what’s gone on but maybe they have some kind of pact, because they face these guys far, far too much. That obviously wasn’t the memorable part. The two things that were memorable occurred after the match. El Torito, who I wish I wasn’t starting to love, hit an amazingly acrobatic springboard moonsault off the top rope to the outside. That was phenomenal. Zeb Colter topped it though by cutting a trademark promo on the stage, flanked by his Americans. He was so, so funny here. Long live Dutch Mantel!

Ryback and Paul Heyman teamed up to face “CM Skunk” – I haven’t seen the enhancement guy parody squash match in a while! This was kinda funny but kinda brutal, a good way to get some heat before Sunday. A suited up Alberto Del Rio cut a promo on the stage next to a huge Mexican flag. He claimed to be a true Mexican superhero and labelled Cena the “perfect representation of a Gringo” again – amazing!

The main event was great. An eight man tag team match featuring Daniel Bryan, Big E Langston and the Rhodes Brothers against The Shield and Randy Orton. I’d always prefer these things to be elimination, but this was great nonetheless. There were a lot of rivalries in that ring, old and new. The match turned out to be really good after Bryan got the hot tag. Chaos ensued involving everyone, with one incredible spot after another. Daniel Bryan eventually pinned Randy Orton. I see him doing the same tomorrow, or being screwed by Shawn Michaels – one of the two.

8/10

I will explain my rating. For Smackdown, this was a successful episode. Raw had already pretty much wrapped up things for Hell in a Cell, and they just needed a little extra push. Heyman came out to get some valuable extra heat. Bryan pinned Orton and created some more intrigue and speculation ahead of their match – the age old tag team pinfall going in to stir things up. In between, there were solid promos, solid performances and altogether polished product. That is something you can almost always count on WWE to deliver.

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